


Let Me Offer You Some Free Advice

by Nikka001



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Barba has the only brain cell, Developing Relationship, Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr. Has a Crush, Episode: s22e04 Sightless in a Savage Land, F/M, Friendship, Relationship Advice, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:48:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28484148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikka001/pseuds/Nikka001
Summary: Barba gives Carisi some long-awaited advice on how best to approach whatever there is between him and Rollins.Or, my take on what should happen at the end of 'Sightless in a Savage Land' even though the episode hasn't dropped yet.
Relationships: Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr./Amanda Rollins, Rafael Barba & Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr., Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson (Mentioned)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 69





	Let Me Offer You Some Free Advice

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year everyone! I hope we're all starting 2021 off right! And by right, I mean reading my first story of the new year!!! 
> 
> This story came about from a conversation with my Discord Family so I hope you all really enjoy it. Let me know what you guys think!
> 
> -Annika

* * *

“Back at work already, Counselor?”

Carisi looks up from his files, smiling tightly when he sees Barba standing in the doorway to his office, the older lawyer leaning up against the door frame with his jacket folded over his hands and a friendly smirk on his face. He drops his gaze back to his work, not in the mood to chat. Especially with a certain former ADA. 

“Well, you of all people know how demanding the job is. Got another case going to trial this weekend so, ya know.”

“Is that your way of saying you aren’t happy to see me and want me to leave?”

Lifting his gaze up to find Barba sitting across from him and the smirk no longer on his face, Carisi sighs and sits back in his chair. He throws his pen down on the desk with such force that it bounces off and lands on the floor at Barba’s feet. 

The Counselor glances down at the pen and then back up at Carisi with a raised brow. “I’m starting to get the feeling you’ve got something you want to say to me. Am I right?” Barba asks as he settles back into his seat and sets his things down on the ground next to his chair.

Carisi growls out in annoyance under his breath while trying to avoid eye contact. “If I say yes will that get you to leave?”

“Not a chance. Talk.”

Letting out a frustrated groan and jumping up from his seat, Carisi moves to stand in front of his filing cabinet before turning to address the other man. “I’m just...this is all your fault you know? None of this would be happening if you hadn’t agreed to prosecute that scumbag.”

“Mhm.” Barba folds his hands in his lap and turns a little in his seat to better face Carisi. “And what exactly am I at fault for?”

Carisi drags a hand down his face, letting out a tired sigh. “Honestly, I don’t know. I just...everything was fine, we were all doing great, and then you showed up and agreed to prosecute that piece of trash. Now everything is all messed up.”

“Messed up how?”

“Well, I lost the case for start, which honestly isn’t a surprise knowing you were on the winning side.” He gives Barba a smirk as he takes a seat at his desk. “But now the team is pissed at me cause I lost, Liv I’m pretty sure has lost any faith she had in me as an ADA, and Rollins...yeah. She’s not even talking to me. And I have no idea why.”

Barba nods along as Carisi lists out his frustrations, hands now steepled beneath his chin and gaze lowered to stare at the nameplate on the front of the desk. He stays silent even after Carisi has finished talking. 

“So let me get this straight,” Barba starts, rising from his seat and beginning to pace in the empty space of the office, his hands gesturing wildly. “You think that me being here has somehow caused the team to hate you, Liv to not trust you, and Rollins to go radio silent. Is that what you’re telling me?”

The young lawyer furrows his brow. “Well, when you put it like that…”

“Carisi. None of this is because of me. I mean, I’m powerful, of course, but I’m not that powerful.”

Sighing and sitting back down across from Carisi, Barba leans forward to rest his arms on the desk and to make sure Carisi is meeting his eyes.

“Okay, listen, maybe me coming back threw a wrench in whatever new team dynamic you all developed while I was gone. And I’m sorry about that, really I am, but you do not get to blame all of this on me, alright? The team isn’t pissed at you for losing the case. They’re pissed at themselves for not doing more to help you win.”

“And Liv?”

Barba smirks and ducks his head. “Liv and you are just fine. She doesn’t not trust you. She’s probably just frustrated because she knows, as well as I do, that you have so much more in you than what we saw out there. You have so much potential, you really do Sonny, but you aren’t letting yourself get there. You second guess yourself over every decision and then you pay for it in the end. Believe me, it happens to the best of us.”

Nodding and letting his gaze fall to the framed photo on his desk, Carisi lets out a heavy sigh. “And what about Amanda, huh? Where did I go wrong there?”

“You mean besides not telling her how you feel?”

Carisi’s head whips up to look at Barba, his eyes growing wide and face flushing. “What are you talking about?”

“Come on, Carisi. You really thought nobody knew?”

He shifts awkwardly in his seat, avoiding making eye contact with Barba and instead choosing to focus on tapping out a pattern with his fingers against his desk. 

“You love her, Carisi. Why can’t you just tell her?” Barba says it so quietly, almost as if he’s asking the question to himself and not to the intended recipient.

That has Carisi looking up to meet his eyes however, a hopeless look in his eyes. “I’m worried about what happens if I get it wrong. What happens if she doesn’t feel the same way and then I’ve just ruined everything.”

Barba sits back, a growing smirk on his lips, and reaches down for his belongings to gather them into his lap. He stands, slipping his jacket on and his voice is almost joyous when he speaks, “I can promise you, Carisi, that she does feel the same way. Everyone sees the way you two look at each other and it’s not as just friends. There’s something more there. Has been for a while. And I think you owe it to both of yourselves to at least figure out what that ‘something more’ really is.”

With his bag in hand and a smile on his face, Barba nods in farewell to Carisi and heads for the open door. 

“Wait!” Carisi stands suddenly, fumbling to get out from behind his desk and into the open space where Barba is. “You can’t leave. Not yet at least. You have to tell me what to do! How do I do this? Barba, please, I don’t know how to do this.”

Sighing, Barba turns back to Carisi and says, “I can’t tell you what to do. This time it’s all up to you. Just, remember something, okay? I made the mistake of waiting for the right moment and now...we’ve wasted so much time. So much time of not being together because we were scared. Well, I was scared. Don’t wait, Carisi. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Go for it. Tell her how you feel. Even if it scares you.”

Nodding and shaking Barba’s offered hand, Carisi smiles. “Thanks for this, Rafael. I really appreciate it.”

“Not a problem. But hey, you have my number, Carisi. I may be retired, but you can always call me. For anything.”

“Thanks. I’ll do that.” Carisi snickers and shoves his hands in his pockets as Barba starts off down the hallway and back towards the front lobby. 

Moving back inside his office, Carisi walks to his desk and sinks down into the chair, letting out a heavy sigh. His gaze drifts once more to the framed photo on his desk, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Maybe it really could be that easy. He doesn’t want to ruin their friendship, but if she really does feel the same way, then he has to say something.

Grabbing his cell phone, he unlocks it and goes into his Favorites section, his thumb hovering over the number that sits at the very top—it’d be blasphemy to have it any lower on the list. He hesitates for just a moment longer and then taps on the name, holding the device up to his ear. 

He waits as it rings, his knee bouncing in anticipation and nervousness. And then the call connects.

“Sonny?”

A smile spreads across his face at the sound of her voice. “Hey, Amanda. Can I come over tonight, cook you and the girls dinner? I think...I think it’s time we have a very important talk.”


End file.
